The land of the Hot Springs

Hot Springs, NC.

Miles hiked: More than I've ever hiked in one month.
Miles left: Way more than I've ever hiked.
Roughly 12% of the trail down, 88% to go. It's a decent chunk to get out of the way, in my opinion. The Smokies changed things up a bit. Some people skipped because they have dogs (no dogs allowed in the smokies - except the special circumstance people). Some people got stuck in Gatlinburg longer. Some people waited out the rain. Some people decided they were hiking to fast and need to slow down. Some people vice versa.

So it's good to see new faces - and of course always nice to see familiar ones. It's like a big reunion when you see someone you have seen on the trail for a couple of weeks - I can only imagine how much more intense those reunions will be when one hasn't seen a hiker buddy in months! That's what Trail Days will be good for.

Hot Springs is a small place. Smaller than I had imagined. It's one of the few towns - and the first town - that the trail actually runs through. That's pretty neat-o.

I walked my first 20 mile day yesterday. good day for that sort of thing. Cool temps, light rain showers, easier terrain despite the mountains to walk over. I had hiked from Max's Patch after a beautiful night on top of the bald. Probably my favorite day on the trail. That bald is enormous - a huge mountain top void of trees. Lot of speculation as to where those trees went. Maybe it's natural. Maybe the Native Americans chopped them off for spiritual practices. Maybe the mountain people knocked them down to raise there cows. Maybe the aliens wanted to make pretty pictures in the mountains. Nobody knows. But these are the ideas.

I don't really know what happened to them. But I do know that no trees on a mountaintop = spectacular views of other tree covered mountains and even more wondrous sunsets, as long as it's not raining. Thank goodness it wasn't. I took too many pictures of the sun falling behind the mountainous lands.

I spent a good two hours yesterday searching for a place to stay in this tiny town. Most places are booked. If it's not booked, it's too expensive. Or if it's not booked, it's 1/2 mile out of town. 1/2 mile really isn't that much, but after walking 20 miles, 1/2 mile feels like 20 miles. But that's where Lori, Coyote and coyote's dog boomer, and I ended up last night. At the bunkhouse which had space, 1/2 (20) miles away.

I'm taking a zero and staying in town tonight. In fact, I'm doing laundry right now and I bet my clothes are done drying. One of the many town chores checked off the list...we'll go over town/non-town chores some other time.

And I also have a bear story (not so good) to tell for another time.

I better go fold my clothes.

Ciao from the oh-so-Lucky Star!